In the prior art applicant is aware of U.S. Pat. No. 6,640,855 which issued Nov. 4, 2003 to Giles for a Log Home Fabrication Process and Associate Log Cutting Machine. As Giles observes, in the construction of log structures, a four sided cant or, for a more natural looking log wherein the natural contoured edges are left, using a two sided cant, the log must be further processed if the log is to be used in the construction of walls. Hence, each end of the log is cut with some sort of intersecting notch, that is, a dovetail so that the ends of the logs may be interlocked to form the corner of the structure as seen in FIG. 1 herein which is a representation of the compound dovetailed corner of a log structure illustrated in the Giles patent.
As Giles describes, conventionally, a rectangular log has the necessary joinery cuts made in the log by a joinery machine, the straight edges of the rectangular log enabling the joinery machine to make the necessary cuts with precision. According to Giles, the straight edges of the log cant greatly simplify the manufacturing process, and logs which still have the natural external contour of the raw timber log in place on opposed edges of the log, such as two sided cants, cannot be so easily processed because the width of the log will vary along its length. Consequently, Giles describes an apparatus for cutting such two sided cants a guide aligns the log centreline with respect to a log cutter, and a controller controls movement of the log substantially horizontally along a support and also controls the cutter itself. The example is given that the guide may be attached directly to the log so that the guide maintains contact with a fence leading to the cutter. It is also taught that the guide may be a fence guide attached to the fence, or that the guide may be alignment elements forming a portion of the log mover. In all three embodiments, the guide maintains the log centreline substantially parallel to the fence at fixed distance from the fence as the log is moved to the cutter.
In the present invention no fence is required at all and thus the requirement for guides as taught by Giles is removed, the arrangement of the present invention as better described below, allowing for all measurements to be made from the centre of the log, that is, the axis of rotation common between the rotatable end carriers on either end of the log thereby removing the problem of dealing with tapered cants etc. The present invention also provides for the use of spaced apart pair of splines between adjacent logs thereby allowing for insulation to be inserted between the splines while retaining the rustic outward appearance of a log wall structure.
In the prior art applicant is also aware of U.S. Pat. No. 6,675,846 which issued Jan. 13, 2004 to Hoffman for A Lineal Log Peeler and Debarker for Use in Log Home Construction. Hoffman discloses a machine which replaces hand-peeling of logs with a draw knife wherein a log is end dogged between spindles, one of which is a drive spindle and a cutter head lowered into engagement with the logs so as to debark the log as the cutter head travels slowly down the length of the log.
Applicant is also aware of U.S. Pat. No. 5,109,899 which issued May 5, 1992 to Hendrickson for a Cant-Making Apparatus and Process which discloses the use of circular saws for cutting a log held at opposite ends of the log. The log may be rotated relative to a frame on which is mounted an overhead sawing device moveable along a track extending along the log. Cants may thus be made having contiguous flat chordal sides which are principally clear wood so that in subsequent milling operations the cants may be cut by conventional sawing apparatus to clear lumber or sliced into edge-grain veneer.
Applicant is also aware of U.S. Pat. No. 3,695,316 which issued Oct. 3, 1972 to Pluckhahn for a device for Sawing Timber, Pluckhahn providing a portable timber milling jig having a beam along which runs a carriage for supporting a chainsaw or reciprocating saw. The beam is supported at either end by a vertical stand which is also clamped into a corresponding end of the log to be sawn so that the log is positioned below the beam, the saws then cutting the log as the carriage is moved along the beam.